Leaning back on her bed, with Akko's warm breath in her ear, Mari closes her eyes and remembers Akko's shocked face when Mari had kissed her the last time. She opens her eyes, and sees Akko this time, her face inches away, her long hair mingling with Mari's, tickling her neck. Akko's eyes are bright, and her lips parted. It may last a few moments or a few hours, the feeling Mari had dreamed about and Akko had once feared. Their lips meet as gently as when Akko had been asleep, as passionately as when Mari had tried to confess to her, and as long as they both needed to be sure. Satisfied and in need of air, Mari lays her palm on Akko's warm cheek. Akko sits up a little, panting and flushed, her hands on Mari's shoulders, unaware till then she had been sitting astride Mari, when a blur of motion, a yelp, and a thud by the door jolt them both to their feet. Mariko hisses "Takeshi!" and Akko springs to the doorway and blocks his escape. Cornered, Mari's brother slumps down, his feet to either side, and looks, guiltily, at the floor. "How long were you...?" Mari starts to ask. Akko hides her face behind one hand, keeping the door shut with the other. "What were you two, I mean, why were two, um, I mean, are you two...together?" Mari kneels by her brother and gently lays a hand on his shoulder. "I'm... Yes, Takeshi," looking then at Akko, "we are." Akko nods and sits, her back against the door, stifling a yawn. Takeshi gets a sly smile on his face. "You know, I think this is just the sort of thing mom and dad would like to know about, don't you?" Mari gasps, covering her mouth with both hands, her eyes saucerlike. "You... You wouldn't!" She stammers. "Of course not," Takeshi chirps, smugly. "Not, at any rate, for the right price." Akko crawls toward Takeshi from behind and leans over him, threateningly. She's fuming, and Mari's waving her hands to get Akko to calm down. "You little jerk! How can you treat your big sister like that?" Takeshi cowers and practically dives into Mari's lap. "Onee-san! Your girlfriend is scaaaaryy!" Akko starts to laugh, and Mari wipes a tear from her eye. "Okay, ototo. You win. What about if my scary girlfriend and I treat you to a day at Hanayashiki?" Akko thinks, "Hanayashiki? Isn't that the tiny, old amusement park? Why go there?"* Takeshi smiles in agreement, stands up, and marches happily back to his room. When the door closes, Akko rolls her eyes, and Mari crosses the room, takes her hands, and helps her to her feet. They stand awkwardly for a moment, and then Akko leans into Mari and rests her head on Mari's shoulder. Mari thinks "Now what do I do? I still want to kiss her, but she's practically asleep...Then again," she blushes, "that didn't stop me before." She helps Akko walk over to the futon her mother set out, and lie down. Yawning, she looks at the clock. It's 1:30 in the morning. Akko is sound asleep, on top of the comforter on the futon. Mari thinks, "It's no surprise she's tired. I should let her sleep. Then she climbs into her own bed, pulls the sheets up, and closes her eyes, a big smile on her face. She wakes up a little later, shivering, and looks at Akko, who's still on top of the comforter, but shaking with cold. Mari gets up and tries to shift Akko around to get under the comforter, but can't manage. "Seriously, Akko!" she thinks. "Maybe just a bit less junk food!" Finally, sweaty and frustrated, she looks at the comforter on her own bed, pulls it off to cover Akko, and climbs under it, behind Akko, who is lying on her side. "Yeesh! Cold feet." Then, with Akko's hair in her face, Mari smiles and closes her eyes, drifting off to sleep as she thinks, "she smells nice."
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